Cable clamp



April 19, 1960 R. T. WILLIAMS CABLE CLAMP Filed Nov. 7 1957 OR. RALPH T. WILLIAMS AGENT 'CABLE CLAMP Ralph Williams, Rochester, assignor to General Dynamics Corporation, Rochester, N. a corporation of Delaware My invention is directed to clamps for securing cables and more particularly to clamps for joining multistrand cables of the type commonly encountered in the transmission of electrical power.

' In the past it has been the usual practice to provide acable clamp comprising two or more symmetrical or nonsymmetrical jaws or clamping blocks of intricate shape to be drawn up around a portion of a cable in order to. prevent the cable from working itself loose and to maintain electrical contact between clamp and cable. Such clamps tend to distort the cable excessively and require excessive pressure in order to prevent loosening. In addition to these drawbacks, such clamps tend to be expensive owing to the intricate nature of the cast or machined parts from which the clamp is formed.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved cable clamp.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cable clamp employing a minimum number of different parts.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cable clamp having extremely simple clamping blocks.

Another object of my invention is to provide a two block cable clamp having blocks which are identical to each other.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference is made in the following description to the drawings attached to and forming a part of the present specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of a cable clamp; and

Fig. 2 shows a front elevation of a section of a cable clamp.

Referring to Fig. 1, the clamp forming the preferred embodiment of my invention is adapted to join electrically two multistrand cables, 5 and 6. The clamp comprises substantially identical first and second metallic blocks 1 and 2, respectively. In the drawings, a twodigit reference number is used to describe points and elements on the blocks. Because the blocks are identical, the second digit of each element reference number is the same on each block, and the first digit, 1 or 2, is used to determine which of the first and second blocks, respectively, is being referred to.

Each of blocks 1 and 2 is formed from rectangular b'ar material having substantially parallel front and back faces. In Fig. 1, block 1 shows back face 11, while block 2 shows front face 22. The clamp also includes means comprising screw 3, passing from top to bottom through an opening in blocks 1 and '2 and out 4 for drawing blocks 1 and 2 toward each other through a plane of travel parallel to the plane defined by back surface 11 and front surface 22 of blocks 1 and 2, respectively.

Blocks 1 and 2 are provided with opposing inward facing surfaces 13 and 23, respectively. The surfaces 13 and 23 are substantially parallel to each other and nonnormal to the plane of travel of blocks 1 and 2. Each of surfaces 13 and 23 is indented to form first and second grooves extending across surfaces 13 and 23. The

uni-ted Stairs atent 0 2,932,870 Patented Apr. 19, 1960 indentations are of regular cross section along their lengths and are oriented in blocks 1 and 2 so that they are directly opposed to each other when the blocks are positioned in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The indentations in each block open into the aforementioned front and back faces of each of blocks 1 and 2. While I show V-shaped troughs in the preferred embodiment of my invention, it, is to be understood that troughs of circular or. other cross-sectional shape would also serve to fix cables relative to blocks 1 and 2 in the manner to be described next. The major axis of thetrough, and therefore bottoms14 and 24 of the troughs in blocks 1 and 2, respectively, and the surfaces formed in blocks 1 and 2 by the indentations are normal to the plane of travel of blocks 1 and 2. When blocks 1 and 2 are moved toward each other, cables of a particular diameter such as 5 and 6 are received within the leftand righthand troughs of each of blocks 1 and 2, respectively.

Referring to Fig. 2, each indentation in surfaces 13 and 23 is of sutficient depth to receive a cable such as 6 at front surface such as 22 of block 2 to a degree such thatthe cable does not escape from the confines of the indentation upon vertical compression of the cable when blocks 1 and 2 are drawn together. Similarly, the indentation of surfaces 13 and 23 is of suflicient depth to receive cable 6 at the blocks back surfaces, such as 11 of block 1, to a depth that cable 6 is distorted to spread beyond the confines of the indentation upon vertical compression of the cable when blocks 1 and 2 are drawn together.

Vertical compression of that part of cable 6 adjacent to a back face, such as face 11 of block 1, drives at least a part of the edge formed at the intersection of the trough and face 11 to distort cable 6. In the case illustrated, the cable 6 is distorted at the intersect-ions of the grooves surfaces with surfaces 11 and 13, indicated as points 15. Deforming cable 6 in this manner prevents the cable from being moved in a direction vertical to the paper on which Fig. 2 is printed and into the paper. A similar distortion of cable 6 takes place at the back face of block 2 at points 25, thereby preventing the movement of cable 6 in the opposite direction. The anchoring action of blocks 1 and 2 on cable 5 in the other trough is similar to the action described in connection with cable 6.

While the discussion above is limited to the case where cables 5 and 6 are the same diameter, it is obvious that cables 5 and 6 may be of different diameters. The only change from the above described equipment needed to hold cables of different size is that troughs or indentations in blocks 1 and 2 be adjusted to receive the cables in the above described manner.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, other modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. I, therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A cable clamp comprising first and second blocks and means for drawing said blocks together through a single particular plane of travel, said blocks having opposing surfaces, said surfaces lying in planes which are substantially parallel to each other and which intersect but are not normal to the plane of travel of said blocks, and said surfaces being indented at opposing points in said blocks to form grooves extending across said blocks in a direction substantially normal to the plane of travel of said blocks for receiving a cable.

2. The clamp set forth in claim 1 wherein said surfaces are indented to form a V-shaped trough.

3. The clamp set forth in claim 1 wherein said surfaces are indented to form grooves of substantially regular cross section along their lengths.

4. In a clamp for receiving a cable, firstand second blocks and means for drawing said blocks together through a single particular plane of travel, said blocks having opposing surfaces, said surfaces lying in planes are substantially parallel to each other' and which intersect but are not normal to the lplane of Qtravel of said blocks, each of said blocks having 'front and :back surfaces substantially parallel to the plane :of tra-vel of said blocks, and said opposingsurfaces havingindentations at opposing points in said blocks to forrn grooves extending across said blocks in :a direction substantially normal to the plane of travel of said front and said back faces for receiving said cable, the depth of indentation of each block at saidfront face being substantially greater than the depth of indentat ionat said back face.

5. The elannpset forth in c1aim4 wherein said surfaces are indented to form V-shapedgrooves. I

6. The clamp set forth in claim 4 wherein said 8111! faces are vindented to :form grooves of substantially regular shape along their lengths.

7.111 1 clamp for receiving a cable, first-and (second blocks andrneans for drawing-said blocks togetherthrough a single particular plane of travel, said opposing surfaces lying in planes which are said blocks having "opposing surfaces substantially parallel to each other and which intersect but are not normal to the plane of travel of said blocks, each of said blocks having front and back faces substantially parallel to the plane of travel of said blocks, and said surfaces having indentations at opposing points in said blocks to form grooves extending across said blocks in a direction substantially normal to the plane of travel of said blocks and opening into said front and said back faces for receiving said cable, the depth of said indentation at said front face of each block being suflicient to contain said cable within the indentation upon the compression of said cable, anilthe depth of said indentation at said "back face of each ofs'aid blocks being insufficient to contain said cable within said indentation upon the compression of said cable.

8. The clamp set forth in claim 7 wherein said surfaces are indentedt'o form a V-shaped groove.

9. The clamp set forth in claim 7 wherein said surfaces are indented to form grooves of substantially regular shape'along their lengths.

References Cited in the fil'e of fp'a'tcnt UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain :Ian. at. 492 1 

